"I have work to do. I'll be sleeping in my office tonight." Aaron says, finishing the conversation with Juliette. He opens the door to the office. I watch him make his way across the room to the chair beside me.
"So..." I start. "That went well?"
"Mostly," He pauses before he continues. "I want you to stay here tomorrow and take my duties when I leave."
I want to ask what duties because I've been doing most of his for a while but I keep that thought in my head. "No," I say instead. He looks at me like I have a second head.
"No," I say again, "because I know for a fact that you leave Delalieu in charge, not me. And just saying, it really proves how much you distrust me, Aaron. That said, it doesn't matter whether or not I'm here."
"That is not true, Y/n. I leave you in charge every time I have to go."
"No, you don't and I know that because none of the soldiers ever take any commands from me."
"I already have to keep watch on Juliette, I don't need to watch you too."
"So don't. Stop treating me like a child, if that last battle proved anything it's that she is unstable and needs more care than I do. Just let me come, please." I sigh.
"Fine." He says finally. I watch as he gets up to grab a book and his log. He looks exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes become more prominent at night somehow. I wait a few minutes before getting up. Aaron doesn't watch me the same way I watched him. I check to see if she is asleep. Placing my head close to the door, I can hear light snores. I grab my things off the table and approach the door.
"I'm sorry, Aaron. Please try to get some sleep, okay?"
He looks up at me and nods. I nod back and open the door. After exiting his office, I walk past the bed where she's laying quite peaceful looking. I sigh and make my way towards the door.
***
I groan as my alarm goes off the next morning. It took so long to get back to my room last night that it feels like I went to bed only a few minutes ago. It doesn't matter how tired I am, though, I said I was going today and so I am. I throw myself into a quick and cold shower. As I look at myself in the mirror I can see just how Aaron and I are different. Even though we are the same age he views me as the younger sibling and it infuriates me, which was part of the reason I told him I was going to go with them today. There is no time to dwell on that. I walk out of my room and right into his.
Delalieu is there before me.
"Are you sure it's safe, sir? ' He asks my brother as I slip into the room. "Forgive me, I don't mean to seem impertinent but I just can't help but be concerned."
"It'll be fine. Just make sure our troops aren't patrolling that area. We'll only be gone a few hours at the most."
"Yes, alright, sir." It goes quiet for a minute before Aaron says;
"Juliette, come out here, love. It's rude to eavesdrop." She steps out of his bathroom looking flushed. Aaron seemingly enjoys her embarrassment in this situation. I roll my eyes at him, he is so far gone for this girl it's not even funny.
"Are we ready to go, then?" I ask.
"Yes, of course," Juliette answers. We get her into a cart in a deserted hall. Mostly everything was easy after that. I move into the tank as Aaron and Delaleiu get her out of the cart. I take a seat farther from where they will be sitting. Contrary to Aaron's opinion, I find tanks quite comfortable, as long as I'm not driving. The only uncomfortable thing is that I cannot listen to them flirt with one another, they act so oblivious sometimes. It's hell.
As I step out of the tank, I see a massive crater. I had no idea how bad the damage was. I stay a few steps behind Aaron and Juliette. She looks scared, that's the reaction I wished I could have. I stay close to the tank to give Aaron and Juliette some space but it doesn't look like they are saying much. I watch how they interact with each other, it's quite sweet. Aaron cafes so much for her and I can see her starting to reciprocate those feelings. It makes me wish we hadn't left, that I hadn't left Kenji there. I guess it's a good thing that we did leave, though. I would have died otherwise. Aaron's voice pulls me out of my thoughts;
"Juliette, get down!" He shouts as he tackles her to the ground. Gunshots are fired around us. Aaron spares me a quick look before attempting to speak to Juliette.
"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF SHIT!" A voice yells, His voice, I duck behind the tank. Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, he's alive. Thank god.
"Kenji, no." Juliette tries to tell him, but he is to busy yelling at my brother to pay much attention to her.
"Get up! You coward. Get up!" He bellows. I can't see what's happening but I assume he's moving closer to them. He stops shouting as my brother rounds the corner of the tank and appears beside me. I stare at him. He looks back at me confused.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing." He replies, still staring at me.
"Where the hell did Warner go?" Kenji asks her. "You were with him, right? I'm not losing my mind?"
"No, you're not losing your mind. Listen, Warner brought me here but he's not trying to fight. He told me about Omega Point and I didn't believe him so I asked him to show me proof-"
Kenji cuts her off; "Is that right? He came here to show off what they did? To show you how many people he murdered? Did he tell you how many children were in there? How many of our men and women were slaughtered? Come back here you sick bastard!" He screams. His words come with an edge of hatred that I've never heard from him before. I do get how hurt he must be. All of this work, destroyed. Aaron's disappeared again. I can hear Kenji coming back. All of a sudden Aaron's back beside me and climbing into the tank. I follow him and as soon as we get back in the tank I ask;
"What just happened, Aaron?"
"We're coming back in four hours, unless you would like to stay behind."
"No, I'm coming with you."
"Okay, good." We don't speak for the rest of the ride. He checks through some of the housing and storage units.
***
I worry that something bad will happen to Aaron or me, or even Juliette, surprisingly. Aaron has barely spoken for the past few hours and is still fiddling with something in his jacket pocket. I had asked what it was an hour ago but he wouldn't give me a solid answer. He looks at me and sighs. I raise my eyebrows at him. He sighs again. He isn't telling me something.
"You do realize you're going to have to tell me what's happening sooner rather than later, right?"
He's quiet as he tries to figure out how to respond to me.
"I'm not oblivious, Aaron, and I'd prefer to not be treated as though I am ten years old. You need to tell me."
"We've got to go now, I'll explain on the way."
We make it to our destination quick enough and after my little tirade, Aaron has explained to me exactly what happened.
"Is that good enough, y/n?" He asks me after he's done.
"Yes, thank you." Finally.
It's a short walk through some of the compounds before we get to what I presume is where Juliette and Kenji are. Aaron knocks calmly on the door. I hear rustling inside before the door swings open. Six different guns welcome us. I look at Aaron who is acting very calm, rolling my eyes I look towards Juliette who is glancing between Aaron, me, and the multiple guns pointing at us. Aaron smiles at her and she starts to move towards him. Kent grabs her arm and pulls her back.
"What are you doing. Don't go near them." She turns towards him, clearly annoyed by his actions.
"Let go of me." She says calmly. He drops her arm and walks towards Aaron.
"Please don't shoot."
"And why the hell not?" A man I recognize as Ian says.
"Juliette,love, I do appreciate you defending me, but really, I am quite able to handle this on my own."
"It's eight against one-two," she states, "they've all got guns pointed at your face. I'm pretty sure you need my interference, and not just for your sake y/n's as well."
He laughs as he makes the weapons float above us. Everyone is unite surprised at his action.
"Why do you always hesitate? Shoot if you want to shoot, don't waste time with theatrics."
"How the hell did you do that?" Ian demands. Aaron says nothing as he tugs of his gloves.
"It's okay, they already know." Juliette says.
"Ah, do they really?"
"Yes, I told them."
He takes this is and nods towards Castle; "I borrowed from present company."
"Damn." Ian breathes.
"What do you want?" Lily asks.
"Nothing from you." Aaron replies, "I'm here to pick up Juliette. I have no wish to disturb your slumber party." It is only then that I realize they have multiple pillows blankets and other thing spread out on the floor.
"What are you talking about? She's not going anywhere with you." Kent exclaims
"Do you never get exhausted being so wholly unbearable? You have as much charisma as the rotting inwards of unidentifiable roadkill." I stare at Aaron in disbelief. Then a wheezing sound cuts through the tense silence he's created. Kenji, who is leaning against a wall in the back of the room, has a hand pressed to his mouth trying to contain his laughter.
"I'm sorry," He says, "this is not a funny moment. I am not laughing." Kent seems as though he wants to punch him in the face. I press my lips together to keep from smiling as the conversation continues around me.
"So you don't want to kill us?" Winston says. "Because if you're not going to kill us, you should probably get the hell out of here before we kill one of you."
"No," Aaron says calmly. "I am not going to kill you, though, I wouldn't mind disposing of these two." He nods towards Kent and Kenji. "The idea is little more than exhausting to me now. I am no longer interested in your sad, pathetic lives. I am only here to transport and accompany Juliette safely home. She and I have urgent matters to attend to."
"No." James says. Everyone in the room look surprised to hear his little voice speak up. "This is her home now. You cant take her away. I don't want anyone to hurt her." He looks towards me, I guess in hopes of me helping him. I turn to Aaron. He's thinking. He starts to say something I stop him.
"Aaron." He looks at me, I shake my head, willing him silently to not do anything stupid. Before I can add anything else, James seems to sense the question that Aaron is thinking.
"I'm James, Adams brother."
"It's very nice to meet you, James. I'm pleased to see your concern for Juliette's safety. You should know however that I have no intention of harming her. It's just that she made a promise and I would like to see it through."
"What kind of promise?"
"Yeah, what kind of promise?" Kenji cuts in, looking at me for the first time since we've arrived. Everyone else is looking at Juliette.
"I'm not leaving, I never promised to stay on base with you guys."
"You'd rather stay here. Why." Aaron asks her.
" I need my friends and they need me. Besides, we're all going to have to work together, so we may as well get started now. And I don't want to have to be smuggled in and out of base. You can meet me here."
"Ok, ok, wait," Ian interjects. " what do you mean we can all work together? And why the hell are you inviting him back here? What are you talking about?"
"What kind of promise did you make him, Juliette?" Kent asks her, accusingly.
"I am ready to fight. I know some of you might feel defeated and think that there's no hope left, especially because of what happened to Omega Point. But Sarah and Sonya and still out there, and they need our help. So does the rest of the world. And I haven't come this far just to turn back now. I'm ready to take action and these two have offered to help me. I've accepted the offer. I used to be an ally, to fight and take down Anderson and the Reestablishment. But we can all work together. I've been thinking about this a lot and I think the group still has a chance, especially if we combine our strengths with theirs. They know things about the Reestablishment and their father that we'd never be able to know otherwise. But if you aren't interested is fighting anymore, I totally understand. And if you'd rather I didn't stay her among you, I'd get that to. Either way I have made my choice. Whether or not you chose to join me, I have decided to fight. I will take down the Reestablishment or die trying. There's nothing left for me otherwise."
The room is to quiet, Juliette's speech was powerful and I really do hope it convinces them. I want to know when I was volunteered for this job and why it wasn't important enough to tell to me. I seem to only be told things when he finds it nesscary. The way he interacts with these people bugs me. He acts almost like our father and I hate it. I can see why they think he's an asshole.
"I'll fight with you." A soft voice says. It's a girl I've never met.
"Me too, just as soon as my head stops hurting," Winston says "but, yeah, me too. I've got nothing left to lose. And I'll kick some ass just to get the girls back, even if we can't save the world."
"Same I'm in." Brenden says, I hadn't noticed him before now.
"How the hell can we trust them," Ian says, shaking his head. "How do we know they're not full of shit."
"Yeah, this doesn't feel right. Why would you want to help any of us. Since when have you ever been trustworthy?" I look at her, she looks at me almost apologetically and shrugs.
"I am not trustworthy and I have no interest in helping you. In fact, I made it very clear just a moment ago when I said I was here for Juliette. I did not sign up to help her friends, and I will make zero guarantees for your survival or your safety. So if you're seeking reassurance, I can and will offer you none."
Holy shit. I rub my hands over my face. Aaron has and probably never will be good at talking to people like they are actual people.
"All right," Ian nods. "That's cool. What's the game plan, then?"
"Have you all lost your minds?" Kent yells. "Are you forgetting who you are talking to? They just show up and then demand to take Juliette away and you want to stand by their fucking sides and fight with them? The same guy who's responsible for destroying Omega Point? Everyone is dead because of him."
"I-," I put a hand on Aaron's chest, cutting him off.
"We are in no way responsible for that, Kent," I say. " that was neither of our calls, it was our father who decided that. It was his plan. By the time we got out of Omega Point and back to the base, those plans were already underway. We were not a part of the battle nor a part of the attack on Omega Point, got it?" He looks at me still furious. "I will ask you one more time, do you get it?"
"It's true," Lily says, coming to my defence. "The supreme was the one who ordered the air strike against Omega Point."
"Yeah, as much as I hate the two of them, there father is a hell of a lot worse," Winston says. "He's the one who kidnapped us. It was his men who held us captive;not the soldiers of sector 45. So I'd really love to watch the supreme die a slow, miserable death."
"I have to admit," Brenden speaks up. " I'm not often keen on revenge, but it does sound very nice right now."
"I want to watch that bastard bleed."
"How amazing we have something in common." I say at the same time Aaron says;
"Juliette, a word, please?"
"The is bullshit," Kent tries to re-iterate. "How can you all easily forget yourselves. How can you forget what they've done - what he's done to me - what he did to Kenji. How can you even look at them knowing how they treated us?" He says looking right at Juliette. "He nearly murdered me— leaving me to bleed out slowly so he could take his sweet time torturing me to death-"
Kenji moves towards him, "Kent, man, please - you need to calm down, okay? I understand that you're pissed, I'm not happy about this either but things get crazy in the aftermath of war. Alliances form in unlike ways. If this is the only way we can take Anderson out, maybe we should consider-"
"I cannot believe this. I can't believe this is happening. You've all lost your minds. You're all insane. This guy is a psycho, a murderer-"
"Adam, please-" Juliette tries to interject.
"What has happened to you?" He asks her. "I don't even know you anymore. I thought you were dead-I thought he killed you. And now you are here, teaming up with the guy who tried to ruin your life? Talking about fighting back because you have nothing left to live for? What about me? What about our relationship? When did that stop being enough for you?"
"This is not about us Adam. Please just let me explain."
"I have to get out of here," he says, turning to the door. "This is too much right now."
"Adam-" she tries to grab his arm but he's already pushed past Aaron and I. She makes to run after him but Kenji grabs her around the waist;
"I'll take care of Kent. You stay here and clean up the mess you made."
Juliette turns back to the rest of them, at a loss for words, but she doesn't have to say anything;
"Ah, Ms. Ferrars, it's so good to have you back. Things are always so much more entertaining when you're around."
***
Guess whose back?
Sorry for taking so long to update this, and honestly idk if I'm ever gonna have a clear update schedule so sorry for that too.
You guys are awesome for sticking with me.
If you have any ideas or things you want incorporated, let me know and I'll try to do so!
<3